The Portland daily press., 1887-05-05
EMERY S. RIDLoN.
Memorial Resolutions Presented In
the Supreme Court.
An Eloquent Tribute to the Deceased
| byJudge Virgin.

Exercises in memory of the late Emery s.
Ridlon were held in the Supreme Court YES.
terday noon. Judge Virgin presided and
Judge Knight, in behalf of the committee
after few well chosen words, presented the
following;
Emery ,. Ridlon, one Of our sturdiest and
most actlve co-workers, has gone from this
denly stricken with hopeless ailment only
a lew days before his death, never coming tc
MS ONCE again nor being seen by any but his
family meantime, his swift taking off was a
strange shock to us; and yet it may always
pc accounted happy thing to remember one
IN the full tide of hope ana strength, before
disease has wasted the form and dulled the
senses. To us our departed friend and
brother Will ever seem as when in the doing
OF his earnest work, and in health and hope
he was in our midst.
Brother Rldlon was painstaking faithful
lawyer, who in all things did his duty and
his best Few men ever studied cause with
more care and patience or stood by a client
with more resclute purpose. and his success
Inl career shows how unerringly such deyo-
ZION 70 DUTY is always understood and APP
preciated. His interest too. in ali public af-
ialrs was always alert and intelligent, and
ne was never soured by misanthropic doubt
lngs nor sweryed from fair and manly
course by the promptings of narrow and
unquesuonlng partisanship. 1t is indeed
rare tnat one comes nearer to the type and
measure of honest, modest and yet heroic
citizenship than did he.
AND so we would mark the going of this
full, fresh life, instinct with gentleness of
manner that made him at once kindly COM
panion and a true friend, fair and Just in all
his professional relations, and in whose
family and community life there was both
the instinct and habit of LOYAL service.
Those of us who may be older than he can
not only approve and applaud the work lie
did In his chosen profession and in all the
ways OF life. but we can bestow the still
greater praise of commencing his career as
ut Tor any younger brother to follow who
would win for himself an honorable position
In the profession ana in the community.
hes0tUed, That this memorial be extended
upon the records of the court.
j. ii. Fogg, also one of the committee on
resolutions, briefly referred to his intimate
and happy relations with the deceased.
S. u. Carleton spoke of the characteristics
of the deceased.
Judge Virgin then spoke as follows:
The ceaseless succession of the great mys-
teries of life and of what we call death is
constantly brought home to the members of
our profession as it is to all other human as
sociatlons. On late occasion of this kind,
and character of three of the oldest members
OF this bar was hung in the memory gallery
OF this coArt. A few weeks ago there went
out from among us to the eternal bourne a
worthy brother of middle age, which was in
the vigor of ripening manhood. To our f.
mite vision it seemed that his work had but
Just begun and that his earthly goal was
comparatively in the far future. But to our
surprise his course was run.
1 most sincerely concur in the sentiments
OF your memorial, as well as in the timely
and appropriate remarks which have been SO
feelingly and gracefully expressed.
IL was my fortune to know Brother Ridlon
from the time he commenced practice in my
native county to the time of his lamented
decease He was then modest in his de-
meanor, careful and persevering in the pros
ecutlon. oil his professional business, and
during his after life he kept on in the noise
less tenor of his way"
He never pretended to be great LAWYER.
for pretentiousness did not enter into his
composition. But he always seasonably and
dilgently prepared his cases, and in the trial
Of them he carefully and methodically mar
shalled the material facts and clearly pre-
sented the law which he believed governed
them. He wasted none of the public time
In Idle and excessive cross-examination. He
never new possessed, but eschewed in others the
ever disclose any of that vanity
which seemed to lead him to suppose
that the court and jury knew but little Of
an ne knew. dis honesty of purpose veined
an ms professional conduct. He was not
obliged to study professional ethics, for his
instincts directed him Alright. His profess
sional and private conduct had ripened into
character and were of the same web. the
warp OF which was made up of the golden
threads OF sound moral principle. His argu-
ments 70 court and jury were clear and earn
est he did not hide the poverty of ideas in
magnlhcence of style, but spoke to convince
and not to impress, having that discretion
faculty greater than eloquence
While he prosecuted his professional bust
ness with unfiagging energy and persever-
ance, his broad and kindly human sympa-
thies found expression in various associations
aside from his regular vocation. He was no
slave to partisan politics, but followed his
convictions. In word, he was Just in all
his dealings, .truthfulin all his sayings, and
kind in all his doings.
Let the resolutions of the bar be spread
upon the record of the court, and in token of
respect let the court stand adjourned.